The Russian Empire and the World, 1700-1917

The Geopolitics of Expansion and Containment

John P. LeDonne

The Russian Empire and the World, 1700-1917

The Geopolitics of Expansion and Containment

John P. LeDonne

Description

Both an historical survey of Russia's expansion during the Imperial Period (1700--1917) and a geopolitical interpretation of its motive and goals, this text also analyzes the policies to contain that expansion on a global scale. The Russian Empire and The World postulates the existence of a permanent geopolitical framework called the Heartland within which a Russian core area fought for hegemony. The text brings together various strands of Russian foreign policy before 1917, showing the consistency and importance of the policy's purpose and methods. It draws valuable lessons to help readers understand Soviet foreign policy and the renewed pressures Russia faces to restore its position within the Heartland, making this an ideal text for courses in Russian History, International Relations, and Political Science. Ranging from the beginning of the eighteenth century to the end of World War I, The Russian Empire and The World offers the most successful explanation as to how, despite reversals and limitations, Russia succeeded in becoming the world's largest contiguous land empire in European history.

The Russian Empire and the World, 1700-1917

The Geopolitics of Expansion and Containment

John P. LeDonne

Table of Contents

Introduction I. Russia and Its Western Frontier 1. The Destabilization of the Core Areas, 1700-682. The Showdown, 1769-963. Denouement and Epilogue, 1796-91II. Russia and its Southern Frontier 4. The Advance into the Frontier, 1700-915. In Search of an Optimum of Conquest, 1792-18566. The Showdown, 1856-1917III: Russia and Its Eastern Frontier 7. Early Relations, 1689-18488. On the Offensive, 1848-949. War and Peace, 1895-1917IV. The Containment of Russian Expansion, The Germanic Powers 10. The First Phase, 1700-9611. Interlude, 1797-187012. The Second Phase, 1871-1917V. The Containment of Russian Expansion, The Coastal Powers 13. A Basic Alternative, 1700-181514. Hegemony and Containment, 1815-7915. Triumph and Collapse, 1879-1917ConclusionNotesReferences and BibliographyIndex